dung6 zing6動靜动静
Jyutpingdung6 zing6
Yaleduhng jihng
Definition
Movement, activity, or sign of life; also one's behavior or expression.
- movement; activity; sign of life; development
- behavior; expression; actions
colloquialdaily actionspeople
How it's used
Often used to describe signs of life or activity in a situation where one expects something to happen. It frequently appears in negative constructions to imply that someone is being unusually quiet or that a situation remains stagnant. It carries a slightly more observational tone than just saying activity.
Examples
Is there any activity inside the house?
He has been quiet all night without any movement.
Related words
Common phrases
no sign of activity
keep an eye on the situation
Common mistake
Do not confuse this with the Mandarin usage where it can sometimes mean a noise or sound. In Cantonese, it specifically refers to the state of activity or movement of a person or a situation.
Grammar color guide
Noun
Verb
Adjective
Adverb
Pronoun
Classifier
Particle
Connector
Grammar guides
- LocationHow to say where something is using 喺 (hai2), place words like 度, and the common coverbs that work like English prepositions.
- Serial verbsStringing two or more verbs together without any joining word, like go to the shop buy things. Extremely common in Cantonese.
- 將 disposalHow to move the object in front of the verb with 將, to focus on what happens to it. Common in instructions and writing.
